1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to devices and methods for holding comic books and magazines and, in preferred embodiments, for maintaining comic books and magazines in a vertical position while the same are stored in boxes, cartons and related storage devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Collecting comic books and magazines has been steadily growing in popularity. Individual comic books have been sold at auctions for tens of thousands of dollars, and comic and magazine hobby shops have spring up all around the country.
Comics books are customarily grouped into "ages" depending on their year of publication. Specifically, books are considered to have been published just prior to, during, or just subsequent to one of three "ages," the Golden Age for books published between 1938 and 1945, the Silver Age for books published between 1956 and 1969, and the Post-Silver Age or Modern Age for books published between 1969 and the present. Golden Age books typically have approximate dimensions of 101/4 inches high by 75/8 inches wide. Silver Age books typically have approximate dimensions of 101/8 inches high by 71/8 inches wide. Modern Age books typically have approximate dimensions of 101/8 inches high by 65/8 or 67/8 inches wide. The depth of any of these comic books typically ranges between 1/16 of an inch and 1/8 of an inch.
Magazines vary widely in sizes. Modern magazines typically have approximate dimensions of between 10 and 11 inches high by between 8 and 9 inches wide, with depths of 1/4 of an inch to a few inches.
The proper storage of comic books and magazines (collective "comic(s)") or "comic book(s)" is the most important factor in prolonging their life and ensuring that their value is retained. A preliminary storage method employed by many comic collectors and retail businesses involves the use of a storage bag. A collector will individually "seal" a comic book in a bag made of plastic or other suitable material. (For very expensive comics, the "bag" may actually be a frame-like construct made of a rigid plastic.) Such storage bags are well known and commercially available; they come in standardized sizes which allow comics of all three ages to be "bagged."
To assist in keeping comics flat, so as to reduce damage to the spine of the comic books as well as to maintain the general, overall appearance of the books, many collectors and retailers employ a device called a backing board. Backing boards are well known and commercially available; they are comprised of a single piece of cardboard, acid free cardboard or other suitable material which is cut to a size which approximates the height and width of a comic book. The backing board is placed into a storage bag behind the comic book, such that the backing board is positioned between the back of the comic book and the inside of the back side of the storage bag.
The combination of tightly fitting storage bag and semi-rigid backing board assists in "encouraging" a stored comic book to remain flat. However, backing boards are typically no thicker than 1/32 of an inch. Therefore, their ability to prevent damage when comics are moved around or stored improperly is minimal.
In a preferred storage arrangement, the comic books are maintained vertically. Storage boxes are commonly employed as the device in which to so store comic books. Storage boxes are usually constructed of acid-free cardboard or other suitable material such as corrugated cardboard. Such storage boxes are well known and have been commercially available since 1974 or 1975. Comic book storage boxes typically come in one of two sizes: (i) a box with approximate interior dimensions of 73/4 inches wide by 101/4 inches high by 251/2 to 26 inches deep (often referred to as "long boxes"), and (ii) a box with approximate interior dimensions of 73/4 inches wide by 111/4 inches high by 13 inches deep (often referred to as "short boxes"). Boxes are also commercially available in sizes to specifically accommodate magazines, such boxes typically having the following approximate interior dimensions: 83/4 inches wide by 111/4 inches high by 15 inches deep.
Exterior dimensions vary depending on the "thickness" of the material used to make the storage container.
Commercially available storage boxes are typically constructed from two pre-cut, sheets of acid-free cardboard or other suitable material such as corrugated cardboard. One piece is pre-glued to form a "square loop" with two bottom flaps. This piece is folded into a five-sided, opened-top box, this shape being held in place through the use, typically, of counter pressure and friction. The second piece is a flat sheet which is folded into a five-sided top which fits over the open top of the box, overlapping all four vertical sides of the box; the shape of the top is held in place through the use, typically, of two or four "tab and slot") or "tab and groove" combinations.
To provide maximum protection to stored comic books, the comic books are placed in individual storage bags along with a backing board, and are then stored vertically in a storage box. With commercially available storage boxes, the interior dimensions are typically such as to largely inhibit, or at least discourage, side-to-side movement which could otherwise damage the edges of the comic books. The combination of storage bag and backing board also adds some rigidity to the individual comics, although the backing boards are not of sufficient thickness to prevent bending or folding when the comic book moves beyond an "absolute" vertical position.
Even with these means of storage, the comics are subject to incurring damage when placed in an incompletely filled storage box, carton or similar device. Specifically, the excess space encourages, and almost invariably results in, the stored comic books moving out of a vertical position, especially when the storage boxes are physically moved. In other words, unless and until the entire storage box is filled, comics will fall forward (top first), slide forward (bottom first), or otherwise shift (e.g., moving out of a position perpendicular to the side of the storage box). Such unwanted movement results in the stored comic books becoming bent, ripped, or otherwise damaged. For example, if the comic books slide forward, the middle of the comic book, even with a backing board, will tend sag and result in permanently bent spine. Such damage reduces, if not completely eliminates, the value of the stored comic books.
To avoid the problems of damage resulting from movement within a storage box, comic collectors and retailers have simply filled the excess space with whatever materials are on hand ("filler"), for example wadded up newspaper. Such devices and methods have proven ineffectual in many instances. Much material is not sufficiently rigid as to ultimately prevent movement of the comic books; in these situations, the weight of the comic books, especially when the storage box is physically moved, will compress the filler resulting in excess space. On the other hand, the filler may prove to be of such a shape as will dig into, cut, mar or otherwise damage the comic books, especially when movement thrusts the comic books against the filler. Fillers currently employed are typically not structured to specifically work within the dimensions of commercially available storage boxes.